So what can over 100 syllabi tell you about a course?? That’s what we’re trying to find out. More specifically, we’re looking at a wide sample (in number and type of institution) to get a better understanding of what is going on in the service course across the nation. The “service course” is typically a course that is designed for majors in other departments with either a technical/scientific focus (usually for engineers), a business writing focus, or a professional writing focus (the latter two show little to no differences are geared toward all non technical or scientific majors on campus). These courses are usually managed and staffed by the technical and professional writing program (no matter whether that program is housed in a department or if it is its own department).
There are also a large number of these sorts of courses at institutions where no TPC degree program exists and they are pervasive at community colleges. But, as a field, we no little about them.
The syllabi that we have are from a range of courses that include those at institutions with TPC programs and those without TPC programs. As a number of scholars have said (myself included), the service course is something of the microcosm of the field, and having this sort of rich data for the first time will help orient the field on where it needs to go with this course and what sorts of training and development programs may need to be delivered.
We have a piece forthcoming on the a look at outcomes, and we are gathering a second round of data about outcomes and assignments.